Receptacle and closure therefor



Oct. 14;1947. R Q2,428,782f

RBCEPTACLE AND CLOSURE THEREFOR.

Filed June 18, 1941 INVENTOR RNEY Patented Oct. 14, 194 7 RECEPTACLE AND CLOSURE THEREFOR John Carlind Browne, New York, N. Y.; Katherine G Browne, administratrix of said John C. Browne. deceased, assignor to Katherine G. Browne, New York, N. Y.

Application June 18, 1941, Serial No. 398,681

4 Claims. 1

This application is a continuation in part of aggication Serial No. 251,312, filed January 17 1 I My invention relates to a new and improved combination of a, receptacle and a closure therefor. a

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a cap for glass jars, bottles or the like which are sealed under vacuum, whereby the vacuum can be readily broken without distorting the cap to any substantial extent and without chipping the glass,'and whereby the cap can be used for sealing the contents after the vacuum has been broken. g

Another object is to provide simple means which can be manufactured at low cost and which can be used in a simple and convenient manner. I

More particularly the invention embodies a combined glass container and metallic closing cap so. arranged and constructed that with the ordinary conventional kitchen tools the housewife may break the vacuum to remove the cap without chipping the glass and with the greatest facility, while the cap may be re-inserted to form a substantially tight closure notwithstanding the vacuum-breaking and cap-removing operation.

Other objects of my invention will be set forth in the following description and drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the above statement of the objects of my invention is intended generally to explain the same without limiting it in any manner.

Fig. 1A is a plan view of the invention;

Fig. 2A is a section along the line 2A of Fig. 1A;

Fig. 3A is a section along the line 3A of Fig. 1A;

Fig. 4A is a side view with parts broken away;

Fig. 5A is a view of the embodiment of Figs. 1A to 4A illustrating the relative rotation after the vacuum is broken; and

Fig. 6A is a perspective view showing the breaking of the vacuum by the use of an instrument T.

Closures for glass receptacles utilized in the marketing of food products have heretofore been proposed wherein means are provided for facilitating the removal of the closure cap. These proposals usually involve the. use of a sharp or other tool for prying off the cap, and in allsuch prior proposals with which I am familiar the construction is such as to necessitate the tool coming. into chipping contact with the glass with the attendant danger of glass chips entering the food product, or no provision is made to mini mize or obviate this danger. 1

This invention relates to. food container closures, particularly adapted for vacuum packed food products, and takes into account the danger of glass chipping by the. closure removing tool and minimizes or entirely obviates this'danger. It furtherinvolves the permanent upsetting or mutilation of a part of the closure for the purpose of breaking the vacuum preliminary to removin the closure with provision for reclosure after the removal to prevent or-reduce the likelihood of contamination of food remaining in the container. -1

Referring to Figs. 1A to 6A of the drawings,

the invention is illustrated as embodied in a glass jarJ' whose neck or mouth portion l' is indicated as having the finish illustrated, being of conventionalstructure. According to this conventional structure the upper or end periph- I eral edge of the neck portion is indicated as having a central substantially flat portion and the rounded edges l1 and J8. The peripheral edge I! merges into a substantially flat outside surface and this merges-into a-rounded holding surface or shoulder 20. Thejar is provided onits end peripheral edge, with shallow lateral recesses 4', the sides of these recesses being curved;

as indicated at l5 and It. In the particular embodiment shown there are four of these recesses 4, and this is the preferable number forthe reasons indicated below. These recesses are comparatively shallow and are exaggerated in depth as shown in the drawings to correspond to the enlarged scale of the drawings.

The closure includes a metallic cap having a disc or bottom 5 and an annular flange I2 formed integral therewith, the flange engaging the flat side periphery of the neck of thejar or container. The lower part iii of the flange .I2 is curved inwardly to engage the rounded holding surfaceor shoulder 20 formed in the glass container and the edge of the flange is formed into a reinforcing bead l4. The closure also includes a sealing composition 2| which according to conventional practice may be fixed to and carried by the closing cap. This seal may be of composition paper or composition rubber or composition cork and is compressed tightly between the end peripheral edge of the neck I of the glass jar and thedisc 5' of the cap. Under the pressure of the closure and due to the nature of the sealing composition the latter completely fills up thelateral recesses! formed on the end peripheral edge of the jar. As indicated any suitable. composition may be emsealing compound or composition 2| containedin the recesses 4'. As indicated in the drawing, the lower wall of a slot 9' is disposed above the level of the bottom of the recesses 4' and likewise the upper wall of the slots 9 is spaced below the disc 5'. Similarly, the end Walls of the slots 9 preferably stop short of the end walls I5, iii of therecesses 4'. These slots 9' serve the double function as indicia to indicate tothe housewife Where an instrument T, such as an ordinary kitchen knife, may be inserted to break the vacuum in the container and remove the closing cap, and also function to accommodate the reception of this instrument, This instrument T is' inserted through, the indicium slot 9' and the sealing ,composition 2| contained in the recess 4 is pierced by this instrument .to break the vacuum, where- 'fuponthe instrumentor knife T may be lifted as indicatedein Fig. 6A with thecomposition in the bottom of recess dforming a fulcrum to pry the side'of'the'closurecap with the flange l3 disengaged from the holdingsurfaceZD; By reason of the arrangement and structure shown the vacuum may be broken and the cap removed without the knife engaging the glass walls of the lateral recess 4,-. thus completely eliminating the danger of chippingofl glass particles from the glass during this operation. 13y providing amultiplicity of these lateral recesses and'co-operating slots 9 ,the housewife may insert the knife T into each of these-slots and through 'the composition contained'in each of-the recesses 4' and the cap is thereby'pr'ied off gradually without distorting the same. v p 3 After the vacuum is broken and the cap re-' moved the housewife may readily replace the cap upon the jar'and reclose' the same, and a sub- 'stantially' tight closure is obtained notwithstanding the puncture of the sealing compound in alinement with the slots 9, since upon replacement the cap is rotated as indicated in Fig. 5A relatively 1 to the jar with theslots 9 out of alignment with therecesses 4'. The jar neck as shown in the drawings is not provided with a bead below the holding shoulder 20, but it isunderstood that it may be so provided with the conventional bead. A sharp round instrument may be utilized in the place of the knife'T, but a fiat instrument is preferable with a sharp point. The reclosing may be assisted by reheating the product and creating a slight vacuum inside the container whereupon with the cap in the position shown in Fig. 5A the holding and closure is assisted by the atmospheric pressure. It is understood that while the indicium slots 9' are indicated as elongated, slots of any suitable character may be substituted thercfon.

I claim: I

1. In combination, a receptacle of frangible -material for food formed with a substantially cylindrical neck and an' annular holding surface disposed adjacent said neck, said neck having a lateral recess formed onthe end peripheral edge thereof, a capior said receptacle comprising a 'disc shaped top wall and a cylindrical flange inside walls of said neck, said flange having an inwardly projecting part integral therewith and engaging said holding surface, said cap carrying a sealing composition which is compressed between the cap and the end periphery of the receptacle with the composition filling up said recess and forming a tight seal all the way around theneck of the periphery, said flange having a slot indicium registeringwith the sealing composition in said recess which is formed in the periphery of said neck, and being adapted to receive an instrument for piercing the sealing composition contained in said recess without the instrument engaging the frangible material of the neck and thereby break the vacuumin the 1 receptacle, said cap upon breaking of the vacuum being re-insertable on the neck of the resgtacle to reclose the same-by pressingthe cap upon the neck with the cap rotated relatively tothe neck from its original position through a sufficient angle to bring theindicium out of "alinement with said'recess.

2. In combination, a receptacle of frangible material for food formed with a substantially cylindrical neck and an annular holdingsurface disposed adjacent said neck, said neck having a lateral recess formed on the endperipheral edge thereof, a cap for saidre'ceptacle com prising a discshaped top wall and a cylindrical flange integral with said top wall and snugly engaging the side walls of said neck, said flange having an inwardly projecting part integral therewith and engagingsaid holding surface, said cap carrying a sealing composition 'which is compressed between the cap and the end periphery of the receptacle with-the composition filling up'said recess and forming a tight seal all the way around the neck of the periphery, said flange having a slot indicium registering withthe sealing composition in said recess which is formed in the peripheryof said neck, and being adapted to receive an instrument'ior piercing the sealing composition contained in said r'ecess without the instrument engaging the frangible material of 'the neck and thereby break the vacuum in the receptacle, said cap upon breaking I of the vacuum being re-insertable on the neck of the receptacle to reclose the same bypressing the cap upon the neck with the cap rotated relatively to the heck from its'original position through a sufficient angleto bring the indicium out of alinement with said recess, there being a multiplicity of indicium slots and registering penetrable volumes of sealing composition.

3. In'combination, a, receptacle of frangible material for food formed with a substantially cylindrical neck and an annular. holding surface disposed adjacent said neck, said neck having a lateral recess formed on the end peripheral edge thereof, acap for said receptacle comprising a disc shaped top wall and a cylindrical flange integral with said top wall and snugly engaging the side walls of said, neck, said flange having an inwardly projecting part integral therewith and engaging said holding surface, said cap carrying a sealing composition which is compressed between the capand the end periphery of the receptacle with the composition filling upsaid recess and forming a tight seal .all the way around the neck of the periphery, saidflange having a. slot indicium registering with the sealing composition in said recess which is formed in the periphery of said neck, and being adapted to receive'a'n instru- V ment for piercing the sealing composition contegral with said top wall and snugly engaging the 7g tained in said recess without the instrument engaging the frangible material of the neck and thereby break the vacuum in the receptacle, said cap upon breaking of the vacuum being re-in-- sertable on the neck of the receptacle to reclose the same by pressing the cap upon the neck with the cap rotated relatively to the neck from its original position through a sufficient angle to bring the indicium out of alinement with said recess, the lower wall of the slot being above the level of the bottom of the recess and the end walls thereof stopping short of the end walls of the recess.

4. In combination, a receptacle of frangible material for food formed with a substantially cylindrical neck and an annular holding surface disposed adjacent said neck, said neck having a lateral recess formed on the end peripheral edge thereof, a cap for said receptacle comprising a disc shaped top wall and a cylindrical flange integral with said top wall and snugly engaging the side walls of said neck, said flange having an inwardly projecting part integral therewith and engaging said holding surface, said cap carrying a sealing composition which is compressed between the cap and the end periphery of the receptacle with the composition filling up said recess and forming a, tight seal all the way around the neck of the periphery, said flange having a slot indicium registering with the sealing composition in said recess which is formed in the periphery of said neck, and being adapted to receive an instrument for piercing the sealing composition contained in said recess without the instrument engaging the frangible material of the neck and thereby break the vacuum in the receptacle, said cap upon breaking of the vacuum being re-insertable on the neck of the receptacle to reclose the same by pressing the cap upon the neck with the cap rotated relatively to the neck 6 from its original position through a sufiicient angle to bring the indicium out of alinement with said recess, said cap being liftableon one side to disengage the inwardly projecting part from the holding surface by means of the instrument which is inserted through the slot and through the body of sealing composition in the recess to break the vacuum and the neck of the receptacle being formed with a smooth interior surface all the way around.

JOHN CARLIND BROWNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,421,696 Kucera July 4, 1922 2,075,776 Barnby Mar. 30, 1937 1,445,729 Townsend Feb. 20, 1923 680,053 Madigan et al Aug. 6, 1901 771,017 Jones Sept. 27, 1904 1,723,790 Kirkland Aug. 6, 1929 1,866,841 Crookshank July 12, 1932 2,142,278 Mendelson Jan. 3, 1939 1,842,226 Williams Jan. 19, 1932 743,841 Egenas Nov. 10, 1903' 1,716,851 Hammer June 11, 1929 1,944,355 MacKenzie Jan. 23, 1934 2,244,316 Robertson June 3, 1941 2,187,396 Glocker Jan. 16, 1940 649,843 Honiss May 15, 1900 1,658,521 Fison Feb. 7, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date I Great Britain NOV. 10, 1934 

